When my boss called me late one afternoon, I expected a routine check-in.

When my boss called me late one afternoon, I expected a routine check-in.

Instead, he informed me that starting immediately, I was required to work full-time from the office. This came as a shock, because I had been hired as a remote employee from the very beginning.

I calmly explained that I didn’t own a car and that the office was nearly two hours away from my home. His response was short and dismissive: my commute, he said, was not his concern.

There was no room for discussion, no acknowledgment of the original agreement. Rather than argue or escalate the situation, I thanked him for the call, hung up, and spent the rest of the evening quietly thinking through my next steps.

The following morning, I did exactly what was asked. I woke up early, planned my route using public transportation, and made my way to the office. The journey was long, exhausting, and involved multiple transfers, but I arrived on time and ready to work.